With the rising use of robots for various applications, the need exists for improved robot vision technology. Robot vision enables robots to be operated under a wide range of conditions and to have information that maximizes situational awareness. Robot vision is important for accurate and fast navigation through complex terrains, for better interpretation of the robot's surroundings, for rapid recognition of objects of interest, and for improved ability to interact with objects with manipulators or by other means.
For robot vision, a combination of cameras or other image detection equipment and vision algorithms are used. Robot vision systems can range from a simple guidance application to a more complex application that uses data from multiple sensors.
A common implementation of robot vision uses a single visible light video camera. Typically, a monoscopic image is displayed on a monitor viewed by the robot operator. There are a number of limitations to this approach. Because the video is monoscopic, it does not provide depth or shape information other than what can be gleaned for the relative position of objects in the image. Also, the quality of visible and near-infrared video varies significantly depending on illumination levels and direction. High sensitivity image intensifiers can improve video quality under low light conditions, but become saturated if an illumination source enters the field of view and may not even work in full sunlight. Onboard light sources can compensate for low lighting, but require more power, have limited range, and would reveal the robot's location in covert operations.